NAMIBIA

Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings

The Italian Embassy doesn't exist anymore, but there is an honorary consulate. Unfortunately we don't know its location.
Vittorio & Monica Pietri - Italy (Sep 97)

It is only necessary to book accommodation well in advance if you plan to go during the South African school holidays, from December to mid-January.
Francois Chassing (Feb 99)

If you are arriving in Windhoek on a "late" flight, ie between 5-6pm, you may encounter difficulty getting into the city which is about 40km away. We arrived from Victoria Falls at this time, and discovered that the airport had closed, so we couldn't get local currency and there was no airport bus service and no taxis. Windhoek airport is in the middle of nowhere. On top of this, our connecting flight back to the UK didn't leave for another 17 hours, and the airport police turf everyone out and close the building at 6pm. We could have hung around outside, but with a storm of Armageddon proportions closing in, this wouldn't have been a viable option.
Mark Hunnebell & Joanne Everall, UK (Mar 99)

Due to increasing poverty, especially in the country, there has been an increase in child beggars. Instead of money or sweets, bread and fruit donations should be given and are very welcome.
Michael Prollius (Nov 98)

Do allow plenty of time for driving from Okaukuejo to Namutoni. We thought we had, but on the way saw a cheetah on his kill and, before we knew it, time had flown. Consequently we arrived at Namutoni 15 minutes after the gate had been shut and were fortunate to find a very stern warden who told us off and then let us in. They really do leave you out there, and there are no patrols at night - so be warned!

A lovely scenic drive can be done around the Welwitschia Plains. It involves roughly four hours of gravel road driving but it is perfectly okay in 2WD cars. Taking you on a circular route through the Namib-Naukluft Park, you can see flora such as the famous Welwitschia plants, as well as view the spectacular valleys and remnants of South African Troops camps from 1915. To do this trip you must pay at the MET office in Swakopmund.

The roads in North Western Namibia can be quite dangerous. We turned off from a good gravel road on our way to Twyfelfontein and slid quite badly as the road was thick in deep sand and gravel. Be warned, as you might be out there for some time. The paintings and engravings are well worth going to see; it is a beautiful place to view some history.
Amy Sumner, UK (Nov 98)

There is no longer a petrol station in Tsumkwe.
Luis Spain (Aug 98)

We just came back from Namibia. A few things not mentioned in the LP:
The campsite in Bethanie is closed, but the petrol station still exists. There is a camp called Konkiep Lapa Rest Camp, 35km north of Bethanie on the C14. It's N$45 per person in a hut or N$40 for a camp site and N$10 per person.
In winter there are often sand storms at Sossusvlei which last for about three days. According to Piet in Solitaire most occur around full moon. Sossusvlei is closed during these storms.
Peter, The Thorn Tree (Aug 98)

Conditions are harsh in the Namib and driving there requires a couple of precautions: always check closely the condition of your vehicle. A minor problem in the desert, 150km away from the first living soul, can end up as a horrible nightmare. A basic check-up is necessary everyday before you leave camp: fluids and tyre pressure. Pay special attention to the condition of all tyres, including the spare, as they are submitted to extra rough treatment on the gravel roads. Always carry enough food and water to sustain you for three or four days. In the desert, this means carrying three to four litres per head per day, and this is a minimum. We know of people who were stranded for four days in the desert without food or water, just because of a flat tyre. It can happen. Should you be in a situation where you cannot start your vehicle again, and you decide to leave the car (only if you have a map and a compass): leave a note in the car indicating the number of people involved, the date and time you left the vehicle, your planned direction, the equipment and amount of food and water you are carrying, and the clothes you are wearing. Stick to the road. Protect your head from the sun and eat some salt in small quantities, as it retains water inside your body. Always use a good road map. The one provided by the MET in Windhoek is the most accurate, but they are often out of stock. Beware of maps provided by businesses on a complimentary basis: some are not accurate and can cause you to drive much longer routes than expected.

The road to Sossusvlei from Sesriem campground is in bad condition, but they are building a new one. For the time being, the conditions are even worse due to the potholes formed by heavy equipment travelling on the road. It can become difficult to negotiate with a 4X2 if it rains, which often happens from January to March. Should this happen, and you have only one night left to take pictures at sunset, just walk to Elm's Dune, which is about 4km away from the campground and is high enough to provide you with commanding views across the red dunefields. Personally, I find the views from Elm's Dune are as impressive as from Sossusvlei, and the walk is more pleasant than the long and difficult trip down to the oasis. Allow enough time to reach the camp before the gates close.

To leave Sesriem, if you are going to Windhoek, do not take the road that goes via Maltahohe. This route is much longer (5 to 6 hours) than the one going through Solitaire and Bullsport (3 to 4 hours), although it can appear shorter on some maps. We were using the one handed out freely by Avis and had a very bad surprise on the way back to Windhoek. We nearly missed our bus, as the road from Sesriem to Maltahohe is actually winding through mountains and has a lot of short curves, and it takes nearly as much time to reach Mariental than to reach Rehoboth via Solitaire.
Francois Chassing (Feb 99)

Hiring a car is very cheap, and the roads are of a better quality in the south, involving less risk in terms of breaking windscreens, etc. It is worth noting that the majority of companies will not insure four passengers in small cars (even though you could easily seat five), because if the cars are overloaded, the chance of rolling them is much higher on the gravel roads. It took us a whole day to find a car hire company with a good deal.
Joanna Hampton & Andrew Mitchell, UK (Dec 98)

The road from Buitepos (Namibia) to Ghanzi (Botswana) is now tarred: the Transkalahari was opened in March 1998. Anyway, there is still the danger of cattle crossing the road, even at night.
Davide Chiapasco, Italy (Aug 98)

The Trans Kalahari Highway is open. It's tarred all the way from Windhoek to Lobatse (and beyond). Filling stations are in Buitepos (Namibia), Ghanzi (which is 45km along the highway) and Khang (390km from Buitepos). Further south, most villages have a filling station. Peter, The Thorn Tree (Aug 98)

The road from Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) to Kalambeza (Botswana) to Katima Mulilo (Namibia) is now just about all completely tarred (and in great condition!). The only unsealed bit is from the Nam border to Katima Mulilo.
Sean Willis (Mar 98)

The twice-weekly coach, the Zambezi Express, between Livingstone (Maramba in Zambia) and Windhoek no longer operates. The possibility is now from Victoria Falls. There are now two buses a week: different companies, one on a Friday costing US$112, going straight through and another leaving at 11am on Sundays costing US$155 in a good mini-bus and inclusive of an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast at Popa Falls at the Suclabo Lodge.
R W Le Sueur - UK (Feb 98)

We were travelling through Zambia, Namibia and Botswana and we had the Zimbabwe, Namibia & Botswana guide. We wanted to enter Botswana (Maun as our destination) from Namibia, and there were just two roads that we could take. I'll name them the south and the north road. The south road is (departing from Windhoek) numbered as B6 going through Gobabis, Ghanzi to Maun. We were told that this road is more or less gravel and not recommended for a two wheel drive (we had a 2WD minibus). That is the reason we decided to go for the north road. That is north from Windhoek on road number B1 and then to road number B8 in the direction of the Caprivi region and then through Begani to Botswana and Maun. We had no information about the road except for the one given in the guide. To our great surprise, the road is now mostly tar (not mostly gravel). There was only one section of gravel (approximately 30km) through the Caprive game park. The north road saved us a lot of time and back pain usually caused by gravel roads. For any future travellers in these parts, we warmly recommend it.
Tomaz Vizintin - Slovenia (no date)

A few words on Windhoek: even though we did not have any unpleasant experiences there, the amount of policemen (and private guards) spread everywhere, the presence of barbed wire around the houses (in one case even electrified), travellers' tales of robberies and the 'strained' atmosphere in the streets, gave us the impression of a town not so quiet. This contrasted with the sense of safety we felt almost everywhere else we went during our travels.
Davide Chiapasco, Italy (Aug 98)

Unfortunately there are few warnings about the level of street crime in Windhoek. All we were given were the usual warnings about not carrying cameras, backpacks, etc, within the city but this is not enough! The walk around Avis Dam (Klein Windhoek) was recommended to us and we were assured that it was safe to carry bags. After a very pleasant walk around the dam, we were mugged by three men at knife point (ironically we were only 500 yards from a couple of security men but unfortunately out of sight). A scary ordeal but compounded on return to our hostel to be regaled with many stories of similar incidents happening in and around Windhoek with increasing frequency. Also, only radio cabs should be used as the many other taxis are being increasingly linked to muggings of travellers.
Mark Hemsley (Aug 98)

Namibia - Fish River Canyon
Danger! Be prepared. In October 1997, my wife and I visited Fish River Canyon. Very nice landscape but very dangerous too because of the heat. On our way back from the ground at half distance I collapsed and needed medical assistance. After two hours we contacted other tourists and they informed the park office. But - no reaction. Park wardens were not very interested in such problems. And there was no first aid equipment at the office. Only with the help of a South African tourist group was it possible to get help from Windhoek (800km away!) by aeroplane. The rescue team reached us in the canyon at 9pm. A wonder how they could land on the small landing strip without any ground assistance. So we recommend: start your trip very early, and be back by 12pm; be in a group of four people or more; make sure you have enough water with you; and don't believe you'll get any help from the park office - you are on your own.
Ulrich Gisser (Mar 98)

If one is driving from the Skeleton Coast toward the Petrified Forest, beware of the fake petrified forest. A family has hand-pained a cute sign saying "Biggest Petrified Forest" and charges about N$20 per car to see it. The woman and her darling children will walk with you up an embankment and you will indeed see petrified tree trunks. (This tour takes about five minutes and there is no explanation given by the woman/guide. The real petrified forest is somewhat further down the road, marked by an official government sign.
Karen Zucker - USA (Dec 97)

Evening was often the best time of the day. Sitting around the campfire eating supper and talking was great. We often had gourmet meals, especially when Scott cooked. Being a vegetarian, I was prepared for bland ordinary stuff, but was able to feast on stuffed gem squash, curry and rice, various pasta dishes, and a local seasonal delicacy - giant sauteed mushrooms from termite mounds... After a good rain, the mushrooms that the termites farm have a growth spurt and sometimes pop out of the mounds. Carnivores also got meat to eat. A potjie (pronounced 'poy key') pot was used almost every night. It is a cast iron Dutch oven with three inch legs for coals underneath. For baking, coals can also be put on top of it. I liked it so much that I bought one for $25 and brought it home. The 25 pounds made my backpack a little bit on the heavy side...

During the two week termite project, we got two days off. The first day we drove 80 miles north to Etosha National Park, one of the largest and best game reserves in all of Africa. Just like our Great Basin where no rivers reach the ocean, southern Africa has the equivalent. Rivers may only flow during parts of the rainy season and drain into shallow pans. Most or all of the water evaporates during the dry season. The most known pan in southern Africa is the Okavango, which PBS did a special on last year. The Etosha Pan is actually larger. The best time of the year to watch animals at Etosha is in July through September, the driest time of the year when there are the fewest waterholes. During that time there is an almost endless procession of animals coming for water or for prey. At Etosha there are protective viewing areas around the three main water holes that even have spot lights on at night. During the rainy season, mainly December through March, there are numerous waterholes all over the 8000 square mile park so there is much less chance of seeing animals at the waterholes or driving around on the few roads. We still got to see lion, wildebeast, zebra, giraffe, orix, springbok, impala, kudo, and ostrich, but missed out on elephant, rhino and cheetah. We did see rhino rocks: rhino love to rub against trees and large rocks. Over time they can make the sides of large boulders as smooth as if they were in rushing Sierra rivers. We also saw a kori bustard, the world's largest flying bird species.

African skies this time of year are the best that I have ever seen. During rainy season, big cumulous clouds can form in the afternoon. During the evening drive back from Etosha, the sky was awesome. There were majestic clouds with sunlight piercing through the edges and between them. Some of the light patterns looked like a Jacob's ladder. We could see intense rain and lightning under some of the clouds. The finale was the spectrum of sunset colours spanning the entire sky and the full moon rising.
Stan Walerczyk - USA (Jan 98)